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Death Quote by Cornell Woolrich

“The cemetery watchman left the room and returned with a tray holding three small skulls and a large one. I could feel the short hairs on the back of my neck standing up of their own accord. None of them were real though; they were wood or celluloid imitations. They all had flaps that opened at the…” quote by Cornell Woolrich
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““The cemetery watchman left the room and returned with a tray holding three small skulls and a large one. I could feel the short hairs on the back of my neck standing up of their own accord. None of them were real though; they were wood or celluloid imitations. They all had flaps that opened at the top; one was a jug and the other three steins. The man behind the desk named the toast. 'To our Friend!' I thought he meant myself at first; he meant that shadowy enemy of all mankind, the Grim Reaper. 'We are called The Friends of Death,' he explained to me when the grisly containers had been emptied. 'To outline our creed and purpose briefly, it is this: That death is life, and life is death. We have mastered death, and no member of the Friends of Death need ever fear it. They 'die,' it is true, but after death they are buried in special graves in our private cemetery - graves having air vents, such as you discovered. Also, our graves are equipped with electric signals, so that after the bodies of our buried members begin to respond to the secret treatment our scientists have given them before internment, we are warned. Then we come and release them - and they live again. Moreover, they are released, freed of their thralldom; from then on death is an old familiar friend instead of an enemy. They no longer fear it. Do you not see what a wonderful boon this would be in your case, Brother Bud; you who have suffered so from that fear?' ("Graves For The Living")””

Cornell Woolrich

About This Quote

Source Short story: “Graves For The Living” by Cornell Woolrich, 1940s

A secret society claims to have conquered death, turning it into a controllable, repeatable process, blurring life and death boundaries.

In simple terms: They claim to control death and bring the dead back.

Key Takeaway

Question the ethics of mastering death.

Themes

mortality control ethics

Mood

uneasy thoughtful

Type

cautionary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • medical research
  • military programs
  • philosophical debates
  • personal grief

Key Concepts

transhumanism afterlife science fiction

Questions to Reflect On

  • What are the societal impacts of eradicating death?
  • Is it ethical to manipulate life and death?
A Different Perspective

The feasibility and moral cost of reviving the dead are unclear.

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